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Using weed whackers to trim grass around the house and lawn is very popular today, owing to the ease and speed of working the tool, not to mention its impressive final results.
While it’s easy to figure out how to use a weed whacker, handling one is not totally risk-free.
If you are trimming with weed whackers, there are a few precautions that you should take to avoid getting wounded by the machine, or even damaging the machine itself.
Below are some useful tips:
- Check the power cord
When working with an electric-powered weed wacker, you should first check the cord before plugging it into a power source. This will help you to avoid electrocution. If the cord is broken or torn, so that a naked wire is exposed, the first thing you need to do is cover the wire.
You can do so with an electrical tape (wrap the tape around the wire to cover it). In this way, there is no danger of electrocution, although you might experience power shortages if the cord is too badly broken.
- Check the various parts of your machine
Regardless of the type of weed eater you are working with, you are advised to first check the individual parts of the machine to ensure that everything is in order.
If all of the parts of your machine are in a good, working condition before you start work, your tool will not only be at its optimal performance, but it will also reduce the risk of injury.
For example, a loosened nut could fly off during cutting and cause injury to you or another person if it is not properly tightened.
- Cut with the line’s tip
When you are trimming your lawn, especially if you are using an electric trimmer, you have to cut with the tip of the line. The tip of the line spins at the highest speed; if you are cutting with it, you increase the efficiency of your machine.
Additionally, a weed whacker line is designed to break off slowly as it encounters stronger resistance. If you try to use the centre of the line, you might slow down the speed of the rotation, or end up getting the line tangled in the brush you’re trying to cut.
Trimming around pots, fencing, pavements, and other hard surfaces causes the line to slap against the hard surface repeatedly. If you are trying to use the whole string to cut at once, you will be causing unnecessary wear and tear on your line by allowing too much of it to hit the solid surfaces.
- Keep the machine off the ground when cutting
Normally, a lot of particles (including pieces of stones and grass) fly off the ground when you trim the grass in your lawn. The higher the rate at which these particles are flying, the higher the probability of pebbles and hard particles wounding you is.
To avoid getting injured by flying debris, raise the machine a little from the ground as you are cutting. Doing so keeps the line from contacting any materials on the ground and throwing them around. This way, you will only be hitting the grass you want to trim.
The trimmer normally comes with a guard. You should angle the trimmer in such a way that the guard will protect you. Guards cannot block everything, but they will minimize the amount of debris being tossed from the tool’s cutting head.
- Don’t allow the cutting head to rub off the ground
When trimming your garden, you should not allow the cutting head to rub off the ground. This is as simple as angling the trimmer’s head properly. You should also adjust the head’s distance from the ground, so that the entire line won’t be rubbing off the surface of the ground. Doing so will prolong the life of your string.
- Avoid endangering the life of your shrub and trees
If you are trimming around shrubs and trees, you should ensure that the string is not stripping their bark. The shrub or tree can die if its bark is stripped too much. Cut a safe distance away from the base of the plant.
These are some of the very basic precautions to take when using a weed eater. Following these tips can help you to reduce the risk of injurying yourself or damage your yard or tool.